Page 28 - aruba-today-20171202

A28 SCIENCE
Saturday 2 december 2017

Biogists: Grizzly numbers hold steady around Yellowstone

By MATTHEW BROWN "None of the states at this hunters and cars and
Associated Press point in time are actively cows is just too many," said
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — planning for hunts, but they Beth Kampschror with the
Grizzly bear numbers in are beginning dialogues Greater Yellowstone Coali-
and around Yellowstone with various members of tion, a conservation group.
National Park are hold- the public about what that "We're asking the states
ing relatively steady, ac- would look like" said Gregg and agencies to do more
cording to figures released Losinksi with Idaho Fish and to keep people safe and
Thursday, as state wildlife Game. bears alive."
officials begin discussions Montana Fish Wildlife and Other wildlife advocates
on whether to hold the first Parks spokesman Greg and American Indian tribes
public hunts for the animals Lemon said Montana offi- have sued to restore fed-
in decades. cials are focused on build- eral protections.
There are an estimated 718 ing public trust on griz-
bears in the Yellowstone re- zly management. There The tribes say killing grizzlies
gion that includes portions are no active discussions violates the spiritual beliefs
of Wyoming, Montana and In this Sept. 25, 2013 file photo, a grizzly bear cub forages for about future hunts in the of their members. Wild-
Idaho, according to the food a few miles from the north entrance to Yellowstone Na- state, Lemon said. life advocates argue that
leader of the Interagency tional Park in Gardiner, Mont. Even without hunts bears hunting could reverse the
Grizzly Bear Study Team. Associated Press have been dying at a species' hard-fought re-
That's up slightly from last since the early 2000s," van animals to the three states. steady rate. More than covery from near extermi-
year's tally of 695 bruins, Manen said. "If that num- Hunting is part of the states' 50 were killed in each of nation in the last century.
but is not considered a sig- ber had been lower by 15 grizzly management strate- the past three years due The National Rifle Associa-
nificant increase because or 20 bears, I would have gy. But details have yet to to conflicts with hunters, tion and Safari Club Inter-
of uncertainties around the said the same thing." be worked out and state highway accidents and national, a hunting group,
estimates, said study team The U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials have consistently management removals of have asked the judge
leader Frank van Manen Service in July removed said any hunts would be bears that preyed on live- overseeing most of the
with the U.S. Geological protections for Yellowstone limited to a small number stock. lawsuits for permission to in-
Survey. grizzlies that had been in of bears so as not to en- "More than 150 bears dy- tervene in the cases. They
"The population has been place since 1975, turning danger the overall popula- ing in the last three years want to make sure their
at a pretty stable level because of run-ins with members have a chance
over management of the tion.
to hunt grizzlies.q
Remains of ancient sea cow unearthed on California island

VENTURA, Calif. (AP) — Scientists say the remains long. The only living species past few years after being burlap to protect the fos-
Scientists say they've un- may be from a previously are the dugong and three buried for millions of years," sils until work to excavate
earthed fossil remains of a unknown sea cow species types of manatee. said Jonathan Hoffman them can resume in late
sea cow that lived in the but they won't know for Two researchers from with the Santa Barbara spring, Menard said.
shallow waters off Southern sure until the skull is ana- the U.S. Geological Sur- Museum of Natural History, The work is slow because
California's Channel Islands lyzed by an expert. vey found the skull and which is protecting the fos- researchers need to formu-
some 25 million years ago. Some fossilized remnants rib cage in a steep ravine sils. late a plan to excavate in
The fossil skull and rib cage of at least from four other while mapping earthquake "They're embedded in rock the wilderness area, Hoff-
were discovered this sum- sea cows also were found faults, said Yvonne Menard and the top surface has man said.
mer on Santa Rosa Island, nearby. of the park service. Erosion been exposed," Menard Researchers hope to un-
about 50 miles northwest of Sea cows are torpedo- may have only recently re- said. cover the teeth of the sea
Los Angeles, the National shaped plant-eaters that vealed them. That surface has been cow, which could help de-
Park Service announced graze in shallow waters "This sea cow may have covered with plaster-im- termine the animal's diet
Tuesday. and can grow up to 13 feet only been exposed the pregnated bandages and and its age when it died.q